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Mighty Eighth museum changes name to reflect national mission

Corey Dickstein/Savannah Morning News Veterans who served with the 8th Air Force during World War II, Paul Grassey, left, and Bud Porter Wednesday morning unveil the new name of the Pooler museum that honors the unit they served with.

Corey Dickstein/Savannah Morning News A sign shows the new name at the former Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in front of the museum's B-17 it's been restoring.

Corey Dickstein/savannah Morning News Previously known at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum, officials Thursday announced a new name for the Pooler institution, the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

Corey Dickstein/Savannah Morning News Henry Skipper Wednesday announces the Pooler museum honoring the 8th Air Force will now be called the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force in the museum's Combat Gallery. Skipper is the CEO of the museum that averages more than 100,000 visitors per year.

The former Mighty 8th Air Force Museum is now the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force.

Although the Pooler institution’s overall mission will not change, the new name reflects its role of providing education about the unit and those who served with it to a national — and international — audience, said museum president and CEO Henry Skipper late Wednesday morning.

“This is an announcement that I believe signifies really a new era in our museum,” Skipper told a group of museum supporters gathered in front of the iconic B-17 Flying Fortress that serves as the centerpiece of the museum’s Combat Gallery. “The Mighty 8th Air Force Museum has always existed to honor the men and women of the 8th Air Force from World War II to the present, and for the past 17 years we’ve done just that.”

Among the museum’s supporters are countless veteran volunteers, including many who served with the 8th Air Force during World War II.

Bud Porter, a 92-year-old Hilton Head Island resident, served as a ball-turret gunner on a B-17 crew with the unit during the war. He makes the trip to the Mighty Eighth at least three times a week because it gives him the opportunity to speak with people about his experiences and learn from others.

“This museum, you know, I’ve been involved since the beginning, and it’s like a second career for me,” he said. “For me, it’s a bit reliving memories — some good, some bad. But it’s (also) the people and their stories that make this place really special.”

Every year some 115,000 people visit the 90,000-square-foot museum just off U.S. 80 near Interstate 95. The majority, Skipper hopes, leave not only with a greater understanding of the 8th Air Force’s role in combat, but also with an emotional connection to the men and women who served with it.

“What we do is all about education,” he said. “Whether we’re teaching or just informing, it’s all about making sure our guests leave with the knowledge and a deep appreciation for the significance of the 8th Air Force in the history of our country and the history of the world.”

Future plans to expand the museum, he hopes, will only add to the goal.

In the coming months, the Mighty Eighth will unveil a new, expanded Prisoner of War exhibit; within the next year, Skipper said, the museum also intends to unveil plans for an expansion to the existing structure that will house an exhibit chronicling the 8th Air Force since World War II.

“These are changes that are part of our strategic initiative that will take place over the next few months and the next few years,” he said.

The expanded POW exhibit will include original artifacts owned by the about 28,000 8th Air Force veterans who spent time in Nazi POW camps during World War II. It will explain the harsh day-to-day life imprisoned service members faced at the hands of the enemy.

The other new exhibit, that will likely not be ready for at least two years, will detail the roles the 8th Air Force has played in conflicts since World War II.

“We’ll start with Korea through Vietnam,” Skipper said. “... It will be a significant addition to the museum. In addition to the space that we currently have, with this particular exhibit, over time, we expect to enlarge the museum itself as we gain more and more artifacts, and as we’re able to move the building out so we can tell the story a lot more effectively.”

All the changes, the CEO said, are designed only to improve the museum experience and give a title on par with its mission.

“A national museum much more accurately describes who we are and what we’re doing,” Skipper said. “We are, and have always been, a national museum — even a national treasure, even international.